ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - School districts around St. Louis are taking steps to make things convenient when it comes to the health of their employees. The Francis Howell, Parkway, and Pattonville school districts are opening up worksite clinics for their teachers and staff to provide them with easier access to health care.

Kim Coil juggles a busy schedule including being a full-time history teacher at Francis Howell North High School.

“You know, it’s a germ factory,” she said. “We definitely have a lot more illnesses than other professions.”

That’s why if she does ever get sick and needs to see a doctor, she has to take a whole day off.

“It’s just really difficult to be gone and we are always conscientious of what our students are missing when we are not there and how that’s going to impact them,” Coil said.

With student education and employee health in mind, leaders at the three districts recognize that need and are offering three different worksite clinics.

“You’ll be able to walk away with the medication you need,” said Kevin Supple, the chief financial officer with the Francis Howell School District. “So I don’t have to stop at the pharmacy, I don’t have to get in contact with my mail order pharmacy, and I walk away with what I need in my hands.”

The clinics also help cut down on health care costs.

“We know that it can be expensive to go see a physician and the clinic is going to provide a much more cost-effective solution both for our plan members and for the school district,” said Supple.

The three districts will have clinics situated in locations that are conveniently and exclusively accessible to any of their employees who participate in the plan.

“We know that people are willing to drive between five and ten miles to get to a clinic and that information combined with geo-mapping data will help inform our decision of where the clinic will be located,” said Supple.

For educators, this is welcomed news especially when they can give more time to their student’s

learning while taking care of their own health.

“We are working really hard to be at school all the time and be as healthy as possible and have our employees be in the best frame of mind,” said Coil